Life with Death
by flowergirl275
Summary: You took my life from me. Now I can't get it back. Stockholm Syndrome themed retelling of Hades and Persephone.
1. Prologue

You took my life from me. Now I can't get it back.

Ever since my return I have been told about what an awful person you are. The thing is that I'm not positive what's good and what's bad anymore. As part of today's society, we are taught that everything is black and white. There is no such thing as gray. However, if gray doesn't exist, then how do you exist?

In society, majority of your actions are considered awful. They are the type of things that land a person in prison. In fact, the FBI is looking for you at this very moment, but I think we both know that they won't find you. That would require leaving the world they know as reality and entering one that they never thought was possible. It's probably best that you are never found. I know that you will come back for me at some point. I just hope that day is farther down the line when I have actually figured some things out. Unfortunately, the people around me are making this very difficult because they get really upset every time I say that you did what you had to for good intensions. I'm not even sure about that anymore though.

I know that a lot of the things I did while I was with you was at freewill but I can't help but to feel like I was manipulated into doing most of it. I mean I was there as your prisoner. Then I somehow became your wife. I'm only 16 years-old! People are not supposed to be married at that age. I'm sorry to say it, but I'm you already know what I am about to tell you just based on my actions that night. I regretted the whole thing as soon as it was over. Once again, I am so sorry. You deserve to be with someone who doesn't regret being with you. I know you said that I was the only one that you desire. I was the only one who was like fire eating away at you and you knew you had to have me. But, how do you know that won't change? People have to change or else they will wither away. I guess you aren't human though. At least not anymore…

I'm not going to lie, even though you have explained what you are to me so many times, I still don't really get it. Your dead but you have a heart beat. You descended from immortals and then you did something so they sent you to the world you live in now as a punishment? I guess the whole thing is hard to get my head around. Plus, I don't even know what I am now. Am I dead and just walking around with the living? Or am I still alive but I somehow am allowed to reside in your world where nothing is living? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever to me. Yet another gray area that should never exist in reality because it goes against all of the rules of life and death, but then again I guess you know those rules better than the people here. It is your eternal duty after all.

You got everything that you wanted from me; you just can't keep it for eternity like you planned to. At least not yet. I know that it is inevitable that I will end up there again one day. Especially because of all my thoughtless actions that you used to your advantage to force me to be yours forever. I don't hate you like I'm apparently supposed to. I'm not sure if I love you. I feel like I don't love you, but somehow I always will. We both know that if you asked me to do something I would do it right away with no questions asked; but is it out of fear or respect? I know that I fear what you could do to me. I also know that I give you a lot of credit for everything that you have been forced to do in your eternity. However, when it comes to our relationship, my mind jumps from feeling like I can't live without you to feeling like I will die as soon as I see you coming for me; it's all just so confusing to me. I don't see how you can talk about it like it is the simplest thing in the world. Let me tell you: it's not.

It hasn't ever been since the day when you met me…


	2. Words Escape Me

…Or should I say the day that I met you?

If what you told me is true then you had known me for a lot longer than I have known you. I still haven't decided if I believe you or not. I guess I'll let you know when I see you.

I remember the first time I saw you. I was at another one of the fashion shows my mom forced me into doing. I didn't want to disappoint her. It had always been her dream to be a fashion model and it had gotten destroyed when she had me. It was my fault that she couldn't experience it first hand and I guess through me was the next best thing. I just wished my mother could see that I had other interests, like writing and music, and wanted to be more of a normal teenager. There's nothing normal about having your face on the cover of the magazines your peers read. You didn't help the situation, by the way. In fact, now it's even worse.

The show you saw me in was kind of supposed to be a big deal I suppose. I never really paid attention to any of it though. I just put the clothes on and walked down the runway with a mask plastered on my face. I had always thought that I was pretty good at faking my interest and enthusiasm. That was until I was closing the finale of the show and I saw you in the front row looking at me. I normally wouldn't have thought anything of it because that was kind of the point of the business, but I could see something in your eyes that scared me. In your steel colored eyes, I saw that you saw right through me. You somehow knew that I had no interest in what I was doing and that every wink and smile that I gave was a total lie. I wanted to know how you knew. As I struck my final pose, I looked at you one more time and saw another look that made me uncomfortable: desire.

Gross sparkly stuff flew everywhere signaling the end of the show and everyone clapped as all of the models in the show came out one last time for the designer to claim his line of clothes and take a bow. I tried not to look at you. I really did. It's just that I couldn't get my head around how you were able to tell that I was not like the other girls who I was on stage with. I didn't care about my standing as a model and I planned to retire at eighteen and go to college. I had never told anyone my plans. So how was it that you seemed to know them all with just a few glances at me?

As I walked behind stage I decided that I would talk to you at the after party if you were there. Then I would know if you really were able to see all of that through my mask. I didn't have much time to think about what I would say though, because my mom grabbed my shoulder and started jumping up and down in excitement. "Lila! You'll never believe what just happened! The scout from Victoria's Secret PINK line just came up to me and asked if you wanted a contract with them…"

I stopped listening right there. I knew where she was going with this. I would get signed and then one day I would get chosen to become an Angel which is apparently a big deal. However, I draw the line at any type of modeling that required me to be even the slightest bit undressed. Unfortunately, my mother did not share this same boundary.

"Mom," I said cutting in, "You know I don't feel comfortable with the whole undressing thing. Besides, I like this type of modeling better."

"I'm not going to let you throw this opportunity away! I am the one who has to sign the contract anyways," my mom retorted. She always got all snappy whenever I didn't want to sign on somewhere. Why did these stupid industries only require the parent's signature? Just because I was only just about to turn sixteen did not mean that I did not know my boundaries.

Before I could respond the scout walked up and eyed me as he said, "We've been needing more brunettes lately."

With a scowl I walked over to the dressing room and took off the hideous six-inch heels that I was being forced to wear. They killed my feet. "You know you should enjoy this."

I was expecting my mother to walk in and say something along those lines, but no, it was a rich, velvet male voice: your voice.

I immediately looked up glad I hadn't started to change into some more normal clothes yet. I recognized you from the show only now, you were just smirking. "So you're one of those people who enjoy vanity and exploiting people who don't want to be then? You're one to give your opinion on people," I said in a very sarcastic tone.

You laughed a throaty loud laugh, "No, I just find it interesting that someone like you would get let in to one of these things. You don't exactly fit the description."

"Thank you," I said in the curtest tone I could make. I didn't normally talk to people like this but after the whole contract thing I was feeling pretty irritable.

"I'm glad you see it as a compliment because I meant is as one," you smiled and your tone sounded light. "What do you say we get out of here?"

I looked at you puzzled. "I don't even know who you are and you expect me to…"

"I'm Adrian," you cut in and held out your hand.

It took me a few moments to realize what you wanted, "I'm Lila," I said putting my hand in yours. Your palm was cold like ice and was only a few shades off from being translucent. I stared at it as you moved our hands up and down. I looked past you into the hallway and saw my mom sucking up to that idiotic representative and back to our hands. I don't really know what caused me to do it. Maybe it was my anger at my mom. Maybe I was tired of wearing my mask all the time and I felt like I could be myself around you because you already knew the truth. Whatever it was it caused me to smile and say, "You know what, why not?"

And with those words I wrecked my life (existence?) forever.

~()~

I asked you to wait in the hall while I changed into some normal clothes. You had smiled a sly smile as you said in a light tone, "Just don't take too long."

"I'll take as much time as I need," I replied winking. However, I think we both knew that I would rush to change as soon as I could. This was the first time a guy that actually knew some of the truth about me and still wanted to go out. Plus it was an escape from all of the stupid contracts my mother was trying to sign.

I almost tore off the way-over-the-top dress that I was paid a ton of money to wear. The vermillion threads winces as I threw the ten thousand dollar dress to the floor and slipped on my basic white lace one. It was my favorite. I loved the how the ivory silk that was underneath the lace clung to me. It felt safe and it was probably the only piece of clothing that I had that reflected my girly romantic personality. I quickly took off the crazy lime green eye shadow that was smeared all over and around my eyelids and just left the false lashes on. With that, I put on my cream ballet flats and opened the door to my dressing room.

You were leaning on the wall across from my dressing room. I almost didn't see you because you were dressed in all black and your hair is black, but your silver eyes were like lighting giving the sky away. "That's more your look," you said in a thoughtful voice.

It was weird to me how easily you were able to read me. But, you weren't really reading me now were you? "Yes, I suppose it is. Can we just get out of here?" I answered quickly seeing my mother approaching in the corner of my eye.

"There is nothing I want more," you winked as you took my arm. I didn't expect you to pull me behind a curtain, but somehow that's where we ended up. It was pitched black and I couldn't see a thing.

"What are you doing?" I inquired genuinely confused.

"Shh," you assured me, "We will be gone in a few moments."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I purposefully raised my voice to attract attention. I knew you were about to do something awful to me. I wasn't sure what, but I knew it was going to be something. I heard footsteps approaching. Someone had heard me. I was going to be okay. Except right as the curtain was pulled, you had already stolen me away.

~()~

I felt the sensation of falling. I felt your strong arms snake around me like an iron cage. I felt your warm breath on my shoulder as I heard you whisper in my ear, "You are mine now."

And. I. Screamed.


End file.
